


Sugar Me

by meiqis



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Family Fluff, M/M, Multi, Sugar Daddy, some smut if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 02:48:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15809787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiqis/pseuds/meiqis
Summary: When Zhengting has six younger brothers to take care of, he somehow finds himself entangled with two sugar daddies and loving them both





	Sugar Me

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this cc](https://curiouscat.me/dadting/post/578401824) and in honor of Gems who has to deal with me asking dumb questions like "who's rooming?"

Slow and steady, water hitting the tiled floor, trickling down with no end, it was a soothing sound in the mornings always again with his body aching for more than one reason, made him wonder whether maybe some traits had rubbed off onto him from a certain person, tuning him from someone who had dreaded showers for the waste of money and heating costs and rushing through them in high speed into someone who just stood under the warm stream for minutes unmoved while feeling how the exhaustion of the previous day was washed off him, cleansing him from stress and physical fatigue sleep hadn’t entirely removed, while engulfed in more sheer than not fog, laced with the scents of muscle easing herbs and the sweetness of flowers until he had entirely forgotten about time.  
Except he wasn’t entirely able to forget about time, too many thoughts rushing through the back of his mind, whether his youngest kids were up and in time for school already, whether the older ones had eaten properly to have enough energy for the day and their part-time jobs that they didn’t even need, unknowingly, and sometimes Zhengting wanted to tell them just that, that they wouldn’t need to care, that he was there to provide for them, earned the money until they had all graduated university, and then he remembered again that it wasn’t as easy as that, that the money might come in flying for the time being but it would be different once he lost it again, that they, he, would be back to square zero, hardly enough money at hand to pay his own living expenses not to mention six other people, and that, in the end, would mean for two of his kids to go back into orphanage and the other four…  
The way he shook off the water droplets from his wet hair was the same he wanted to shake off those thoughts lingering in his mind, mornings, for sure, weren’t his time, those minutes in the shower too silent and calm for him to be able to ignore his own little voices by distracting himself on work or studies or… or other things, the ones that would eventually come up with the day and night and would leave his younger brothers questioning him about his relationship status and the origin of his money and where the more reserved ones had given up on intruding on the topic of why they were suddenly living in a more spacious apartment, although still a few bedrooms short, or where all their clothes and toys and whatever else came from, he could still see the suspecting glares Justin or also Zeren would throw him at times, when he came back home especially late only to scold the youngest for staying up so long all over again.  
“Justin, Zeren,” he called into one room, watching how one figure tried to hide beneath the blanket and away from the cruelty of the light he had just turned on while the other moved around with a grunt, muttering about getting up in a moment, surely to then drag the other out as well, relieving him of some extra work whereas his next stop surely would prove to be more of a hassle he rather wanted to take care of after getting dressed, after he had managed to exchange the moist towel wrapped around his hips with proper clothes for the day, the towels, along with only few other things, were still traces of older times, this one in particular he remembered well, a moment he thought back over and over again, every morning to be exact, how an overly proud Xinchun had presented it to him on the day of leaving the orphanage, all of them too old for anyone wanting to still adopt them, he, with too little things to even fill a training bag and backpack, had been gifted that one thing because his younger brother had known, well aware of that he hadn’t had one of his own, had to leave it behind in the funded house, and he, too, had been too aware of it, that the younger must have saved up for quite a while to be able to afford it, a bit of a better quality and too many lunches sacrificed.  
It warmed his heart even years later as he looked down on it before spreading it on his bed to dry a bit, dressing in record time to go to the second room he’d need to visit this morning to wake up a particularly sleepy blond, all curled up in his sheets and clinging to his stuffed toy he was sure had once belonged to Wenjun before mysteriously disappearing from that other room and ending up in adorable clutches, as usual, the younger already had his eyes half open, aroused by the noises of Zhengting scurrying around their home since half an hour or more to make sure there was breakfast and to get ready for class, stuck somewhere between drifting off and desperately clinging to being awake while waiting for the oldest to gently pull him up from bed and seat him on the edge of it.  
“You’ll manage on your own?” He asked gently, waiting for the bobbing of a head while worriedly taking in how sunken in that once chubby face looked, it nearly made him sigh in distress and worry but he held it back last second because there was a commotion outside, Justin’s silent yells of not wanting to leave bed echoing through the hallways and past open doors, followed by the sight of a surprisingly awake Zeren dragging the wailing child around by his foot, the tan figure passing first and the ends of a duvet leaving last, apparently enough of a show to even have the sleepy Quanzhe enter reality for good now, with a tired laughter leaving his lips, the scene attractive enough to walk to the bathroom too to see how it’d unfold.  
It was left to Zhengting to close the door behind them, to leave Xinchun to sleep, and focus on breakfast instead, dishing up whatever he could manage within the limited time he had, leaving some on the stove and serving some onto plates for the kids to eat when he was distracted, Zeren looking more like a messed up puppy with disheveled hair and rubbing at his strained waist than a functioning human just yet, stealing the can of coffee from his hand to pour a cup full. “Ge, you shouldn’t leave on an empty stomach again… Can’t you at least eat with us?”  
“Can’t you eat something before downing coffee like a vodka shot?” The older replied without bite in his voice, filling his tumbler with one hand and ruffling up already messy brown hair with the other, a short glimpse at the clock giving an answer to the previous question though as he shook his head lightly. “I’ll eat in the office, you know my boss usually provides some treats. Will you send the kids off for me and wake up the others in time?”  
“Ge…” The younger dancer looked a bit disappointed as he watched the older head for the door, training bag standing there since the evening along with a sling bag that was stuffed with some more files, already too many to fit in and it was probably owned to the high price alone that it hadn’t torn just yet.  
“Ge!” A bright voice suddenly yelled, just ahead to a more refreshed looking Justin to tackle him into the wall, looking all bright and excited about sharing breakfast before realizing that the oldest was already off to go, disappointment quickly veiled by a smile but not without having been noticed. “Can’t you get yourself a car already to drive us to school? You won’t need to leave as early either just to catch your train and-”  
“Justin,” resounded through the entrance way, surprisingly, not from Zhengting himself but the currently second oldest around, shaking his head in dismissal with too many things left unspoken about, making the older dancer wonder just how often the kids must have talked about too many things he would never hear about, voicing thoughts about all that money they didn’t dare bring up around him, wondering just how many things he let them shoulder while he was busy enough carrying the weight of having to take care of his younger brothers, only to then drift off to the realization that it had been, in first place, him to give them all these ideas, never explaining how he had managed to afford this much, and thus, surely, only making their worries about him grow.  
It was some moments of silence in which he was left to hang on to his thoughts, staring onto the ashen brown head in front of him, only to eventually bring up his hand and gently rub the youngest’s back. “I’ll join you for dinner, alright? I’ll bring back your favorite food and then-”  
“No!” The tall kid exclaimed and pushed away, lifting up the training back to hand to the one ready to leave, shaking his head lightly, “We’ll get something! You’re already-”  
Before the sentence was finished, Zeren had clasped his hand over that loud mouth of his roommate and dragged him off, not without stopping at the door to their kitchen and dining room in once though, giving him a serious look, “We’ll take care they won’t attempt to cook again. Don’t overdo it today, Ge.”

One hour later he had fulfilled his promise to Zeren and actually eaten something, except it wasn’t that his boss prepared treats for everyone but merely for him, going out of his way to get to this little French bakery just because he knew Zhengting liked France and its sweets to get him fresh croissants and a still steaming hot vanilla latte, both of them devoured in the room exclusive to Yanjun, with his notebook on the coffee table while he was seated on the couch to check through and reply to mails the older didn’t want to bother with, making plans for new projects and forwarding what needed to be forwarded to ease the payload for the architect to focus on his sketches and designs and 3D animations and anything else, so most of it was handled until his next short-lived shift had to start on the following evening or two mornings later.  
If looking at it that way, it was quite the easy job, one he had been able to keep for nearly four years now after what had originally been an internship, he didn’t even spend a total of twenty hours per week in the office, never around long enough to deserve his own desk and workspace when the burgundy couch with the cream colored pillows was more than enough for his short time around, making it easier to ask for Yanjun’s opinion if needed, but it also allowed him to look at the tanned god while working, sketching and drawing imaginary buildings, creating floor plans on blueprints or screen, calculating spaces and alignments only to have them checked by the department he - and Zhengting was sure of that - had created only to not have to bother with that ever again after graduation.  
Back during his internship, years prior, Yanjun, with only so much of an age difference, had already been high enough in rank within the company to request for his own assistant but the hours he worked and the payment he received had never really aligned that much, it was part of a deal that involved situations like he the one he found himself in one more hour later, bent over the table while trying to hold down his screams even though he knew they would both prefer it different.  
“You’re so tight in the morning, sugar,” the older groaned against his neck, voice strained from the exertion of having to move his hips so relentlessly, a magical mixture of rough, fast, and incredibly sensual, always hitting all the right spots to have his knees go weak within seconds, his shirt already a mess around his frame, only enough buttons undone to leave marks on shoulders and neck, shoved up far enough for calloused hands to take hold around his waist hard enough to leave bruises for sure, pants and underwear thrown somewhere again, always carelessly as if it weren’t worth too much, up to the point he had once found his briefs hanging down a lampshade just because his boss never managed to care.  
“Sh-shu-” He didn’t manage to finish his sentence with a particularly harsh thrust that nearly sent him over the edge already, had his legs turn into pudding up to the point he felt one hand move from below his ribs down to his hips, holding them in place while another pair of lost its last bit of gentle behavior to outright slam against his, seemed to reach always deeper and hit harder while blue papers crumbled beneath his hands and he could only hope it was nothing important but then again, that wouldn’t be his fault in first place, choosing this spot of all possible options when there was necessary work spread out.  
“Trying to be sassy with me again, sugar?” Yanjun muttered, low and threatening, and at this point it wasn’t needed to add the real dare anymore, the prospect of being tied up in a corner of the room and left to his own physical needs for hours until he was close to breaking down, he knew that it would easily go on half the night and at that luxurious apartment that wasn’t his but of similar style if not for his kids back at home, probably the only kind of excuse that was allowed to free him from the punishment he managed to bring about himself at times.  
Roughly he bit his own lower lip at the memory of it, the last time he had upset the older, had been forced to sit facing the glass wall looking out over the city while vibrations shook up his whole body, tied up and unable to move but not the least bit of his skin covered except for his eyes, and it was enough to have his body tense up, eliciting a pleased grunt from behind, and his hips pushing back to meet their counterpart. “Please… Yanjun, please… I can’t…”  
“Better, so much better.” The praise sent shivers down his spine, the good kind, warming his heart even when it really shouldn’t, followed by a high pitched mewl when feeling teeth digging into his skin again, tearing at the skin of his shoulder to leave bright red crescents that would turn purple and blue in a few hours time, fingers raking across the paper and tearing it apart as he tried to hold on just a bit longer, a hopeless effort when hearing the little command, “Come for me, sugar.”  
It were moments of pure bliss, stars in front of his eyes as pleasure jolted through his nerves, spluttering white against the walls of the desk as was all too usual only to be followed by warmth filling his insides, liquid burning way too hot on his sensitive walls as it was rubbed around by the older riding out both their orgasms until they had stilled, and the only thing holding him up when losing the support of strong hands was but willpower and the foreboding of punishment if he were to sully the carpets once again.  
“Nothing better than something sweet in the morning, right, sugar?” The architect asked with some teasing and flirting to his voice, a bit more distant now but still too close, there was some shuffling around until he felt moist tissue feel way too cold against his heated skin, making him flinch and hiss while getting cleaned up, the droplets of cum that ran down his thighs mixed with lube and his own dick until his clothes were dropped in front of him on the desk.  
“That house…” He started, not even bothering to reply to what his boss probably thought had been a great pun, while pushing himself up from the desk carefully and moving just far enough out of the way to allow the other to crouch down and clean the side of the table, putting on his clothes properly again, “It looks good…”  
Looking down, he could see how Yanjun’s eyes were trained on him, eyes locking before a smile spread across the older’s lips, granting entrance to those dimples that always made his heart clench and his ears burn red, seemingly enjoying the compliment he had been given. “You want it? I can build it for you to live in with your family and then I can visit you every evening because I am your landlord and you need to pay rent to me, baby.”  
“My rent?” He asked, lightly raising his eyebrows as he observed the man with unfairly perfect tan move around, throwing baby wipes into the trash can as if he couldn’t care less only to find himself trapped between arms and the table, handsome face so close to him he would’ve had a heart attack if he wasn’t so used to it already - but maybe he still had a minor one at times.  
“Your rent,” was the low reply just before lips met his to indulge in a sweet and slow kiss, the kind they didn’t get to enjoy properly before but that somehow lead to their bodies being pressed closer than while having sex still, limbs pulling tighter as if to remove all distance between them, as if there was nothing more important than tasting the other and breathing mixed air.

“You know, Ziyi never struck me as the violent type of lover,” Yanchen suddenly said as they were both packing their bags after having changed out of sweaty shirts and into clean ones, startling Zhengting in his tracks as he looked at his friend, blinking slowly as he tried to make sense of those words but the explanation soon came, “Look, Chaoze might be a virgin and buy your story about just having played around with your brothers too much but I’m not-”  
“Don’t,” the younger interrupted quickly, zipping his bag up a bit too harshly in his despair, “Please, I really don’t want to listen to know what Zeren and you do in your free time… I already regret having taken him along that one day.” To show his brother around his university department, that had been his intention back then and up to this day he wasn’t sure how it had ended with his classmate and his kid dating, but somehow it had, and he was glad that his brother had found someone who made dancing even more enjoyable, but surely he didn’t need to know about those nights he had allowed the younger to stay over at his boyfriend’s place.  
“I’m just saying,” Yanchen started again, with that blinding smile definitely not fitting their topic of conversation, words only shortly interrupted as he put on his sweater and zipped the lowest third up, “That I know the difference between bruises you get from Justin being too energetic and marks left behind by your boyfriend. And Ziyi just never looked like the kind of person to attempt tearing your shoulder apart.”  
Overly conscious he reached for his shoulder, where he could feel the swelling of this morning’s bite, he had nearly forgotten about it after years of receiving them, they didn’t even bother him while dancing anymore but he figured that it might explain why he had never again been put into those horrible crop tops the fashion department had decided to create for them for a show in their first or second year. “Ziyi isn’t-”  
“I’m not what?” A voice broke into their conversation, so indulged in their routine of shouldering their bags and leaving the rooms he hadn’t even noticed opening the door while still talking, suddenly face-to-face with the younger and the faint scent of forests filling his nose, the kind he knew all too well from burying his face against that warm and during those time mostly sweaty neck.  
“Zhengting just wanted to lie about you not being a tough lover,” Yanchen said, wiggling his eyebrows behind perfectly styled black hair even after hours of dancing, at least, as Zhengting figured with some relief, the older didn’t stick around but already went on, showing his phone screen with an incoming call on the display while waving the same hand at them, “Don’t enjoy your night too much, lovebirds. I’ll take Zeren home after our date so don’t worry about him!”  
It took some seconds for Zhengting to remember a promise of shared family dinner but before he could tell Yanchen to join them, the dancer had already disappeared down a flight of stairs and left the two of them behind but slowly following.  
“He did it again?” Ziyi asked with some worry lacing that smooth voice, handsome face turning as if sheer want was enough to look through the fabric of his shirt and cardigan alike to find those marks littered all over his skin as they were every day, sometimes more recent, sometimes already fading away.  
“You know it doesn’t bother me and despite, when he leaves them…” The sheepish look he gave the music student must have been enough to continue from where his words had stopped, weren’t even commented on but instead a hand reached out to take his training bag away from him, the still heavier sling bag too much of a hassle to remove when it was already wrapped around his body but even just that little gesture, it was quite like the gentleman ways of the other student.  
“But he shouldn’t go as rough,” was the always same reply, said gentle where words might have been reprimanding and it was the last they said while making their way down hallways and out of the building that occupied both their departments and one or two others, chilly evening air greeting them outside. “Did you have something to eat yet?”  
Slowly, Zhengting shook his head, looking down at the paved way as Ziyi lead him around and towards the student parking spaces, towards that expensive black car he was already familiar with, more so than he would at times admit, finding just the right time to cut off any further words with his own, “Justin wanted to have dinner together today. He…” Lightly he frowned, probably looking as if he wanted to wipe dirt off his shoes but he couldn’t even see them with their steps carrying them around and sunlight slowly fading out, “I probably fail at taking care of them more than I’d like to…”  
If this time the taller had a reply lying on the tip of his tongue, he didn’t voice it, at least not until they reached the vehicle and the trunk was opened up, his training bag gently placed inside, followed by his second bag carefully being taken off him while he didn’t have half a mind to resist, nor to notice the shopping bags waiting in the other half of the limited space until he was to direct their attention to them, “You said Chengcheng got into the music department so I bought him some equipment and there’s also this pair of earrings you looked at recently, along with a few other things.”  
He knew he was supposed to say thank you and point out how it was too much again, but all he ended up doing was push his lower lip into a pout, regarded with a gentle smile by the owner of the car who pushed him towards the front seats simply, waited until he was inside the warmth of the car before heading to the driver’s seat, starting the short drive towards his home until they were parked in front.  
“Are you going to be sulky all night long or will you at least kiss me goodnight, candy?” The younger finally asked while pulling the keys, hands on the buckle of the seat belt to be undone just in time for Zhengting to occupy his lap, finding his spot between another body and the steering wheel with ease after years of getting used to it, slender legs fitting on the comfortable seat, spread around firm thighs that felt better than most other sitting opportunity ever could - most, not all.  
Another second passed before he leaned in, allowed his lips to meet the thin and smooth pair of the driver, the kiss filled the want to take their time, relish the affectionate contact for as long as they could, a kiss sweeter than sugar and more warming than spiced tea on a cold winter day, until it was the dancer to pull back first, “You spent too much on us again…”  
“I spend it because I want to,” Ziyi replied, not because he could, not because it made no difference, not flaunting his money, it was simply that he wanted to, and it warmed the older’s heart slowly but didn’t make the pout disappear on his lips until another few pecks later. “You can make it up to me another time, alright?”  
Still sulking a bit, Zhengting agreed with a little hum before he opened the door to climb out, heading for the trunk before the producer might get played by his own manners again and open his drunk like the gentleman he really was, shouldering his bags and considering to just leave the presents behind but there was one for Chengcheng and he knew, even with Yanjun’s generous pay, he wouldn’t be able to buy it himself, so instead he already contemplated leaving only the smallest big with the well known brand name printed onto it behind.  
“You should hurry up or Yanchen will catch us again,” Ziyi reminded softly while forcing even the last set of handles into his hand, awfully aware that Zeren would be with his classmate, and for sure he didn’t need that adorable dumbhead to see how he was handed a bunch of expensive gifts by another man.  
“You’re stupid,” Zhengting pointed out very childishly, all too aware that the flush on his cheeks gave away that he wasn’t even a tenth as mad as he liked to act, as he only leaned in to give Ziyi another quick kiss in the shadow of the night before, with a small smile still caught by the younger, turning on his heel to make his way inside.  
He had already managed to round the car when hearing his name called again, twisting his upper body to look at the younger who had pulled a sheet of paper from thin air to slip into one of the shopping bags and another gentle reminder on his lips, “Don’t forget to tell me about when you plan to make it up to me, candy.”

It was only some weeks later, during what he called The two Weeks of Hell when he realized just how much he regretted having had Ziyi slide that piece of paper into what had turned out to be Chengcheng’s bag with the music program and an actual new laptop because hearing the kid who was still in his first year and didn’t need to struggle with with an absurd amount of exams just yet relentlessly talk about his new boss, and all the cool things he was allowed to do at the studio, and all the equipment he was allowed to use for his homework, and all the more things that made him think of the handsome black haired, really wasn’t what he needed when he was supposed to repeat all of what he had learned in the past months in a few days time to actually keep up the grades he needed for the scholarship.  
The memory of Yanjun telling him he shouldn’t feel as pressured because he could pay for his education popped up in his mind and was quickly pushed aside again, as much as he felt grateful to the older and awfully handsome man, he thought that covering the rent for an apartment of this size and in this location was really more than enough already, he also didn’t want to be a bad example, suddenly going lax on his studies just because he was allowed to while needing his four younger brothers to focus on their own work entirely just not to each lose their scholarships, the ones they had worked so hard for with the same kind of ambition as he had.  
With a groan he threw his pen down onto his table, ready to get up and prepare some more coffee to be able to survive the night, yearning for the taste of that certain vanilla latte he usually was able to taste on at least two mornings every week and now he hadn’t had it for two weeks, hadn’t been able to visit Yanjun and energize himself on the sight of skin looking like liquid gold in the evening sun and sweet kisses tasting of stale coffee, so he could only settle for the meek replacement of adding some vanilla essence to his milk before warming him up, still hung up on the thought of the older and his beautiful sketches.  
Now that he was drained and sleepy and had only had his dance routines and business models replayed in his head for hours, the starting point of their odd arrangement seemed light years away, the only reminder was the drawing that had started it all still hanging above his bed, a beautiful house, with two floors, white walls covered in splotches of green, huge glass walls with sunlight reflecting off it and a little terrace spacious enough to offer room for a big table for family meals out.  
Back then it had commented how he’d love to live there with his family, still just an intern, still new to the company and assigned to a boss who had distracted him with good looks more often than not at first, until he got more used to them, still distracted but less often, and then it had lead to questions about his family over a cup of tea during a late shift, having to explain the situation, all orphans who had been either abandoned or lost their parents due to accidents and sickness, all of them never adopted by any family but forming one of their own, all of them wishing to live together but only Zhengting had been off age back then and hardly able to take care of six and even now he wouldn’t have been able to if not for Yanjun’s help.  
Yanjun, who had gotten him an apartment big enough to fit them all and close to the school the kids had attended, until suddenly organizing their moving into an even bigger one that was still close to school but also closer to university because now the majority of them attended classes their instead, had originally wanted it between the company and the campus and jokingly added he had been afraid of the scoldings for making it seem like a selfish decision, so it ended up being close to the university after all, perfectly furnished and only needing their personal belongings to make it a home for real.  
Yanjun, who had gotten him the job as secretary after his internship had run out, who turned out to be the most perfect of perfect bosses - at least for as long as Chengcheng with his crush on Ziyi wasn’t involved - by giving him freedom in scheduling work hours, who let him come in late and go early without scoldings because six brothers sounded like a handful of work, who bought him breakfast on his morning shifts and dinner during late nights and if there was no time to eat together there was always more than enough money in his pockets when he left, for him to buy himself some food and to cover the take out for the younger ones as well.  
Yanjun, whose lips aligned so perfectly well with his, who made his heart beat faster with that one special smirk, who always made horribly cold jokes and delivered even more horrible pick-up lines, that had once made Justin laugh as he read them from the preview on his phone only to be promptly executed on a clueless Chengcheng who had been eager to smack the youngest’s butt to the moon and back, that still magically managed to cheer him up when needed and now had his days looking awfully dry without them regardless.  
Yanjun, who was probably still up and on line, much to Zhengting’s surprise, somewhere in between making his coffee and sitting on the counter with his steaming cup, he must have gotten out his phone and called the older, if the sleepy ramble of inaudible words filling his ear was anything to go by.  
“Hey…” Somewhere in his mind he patted his own shoulder for sounding like a useless teenager not knowing how to talk, but he couldn’t even feel bad for calling Yanjun so late at night despite knowing it was sleeping hours for about anyone else already, he really couldn’t, merely because listening to that heavy breathing was enough to ease his sore nerves and feel the burden of needing to score As lighten for the time being, was drowned out for a moment as he took a deep breath before mumbling, “I missed hearing your voice… Or… missed you in general, I guess…”  
“Zhengting,” the older finally replied properly, must have woken up enough to be able to at least control his speech properly enough, yet with a voice still raspy and low and laced with sleep and it only left him with the imagination of the older at the moment, all messy bedhead and still closed eyes, buried in that crazy amount of pillows he seemed to enjoy a tad too much and with no clothes on for good, beautiful skin merely hidden by his messed up blanket, “I missed you too… A lot…”  
There was a short break to their conversation again, filled with their breathing and the desire to take a sip of coffee that promptly turned into burning his tongue and letting a silent stream of curses slip his lips, apparently enough to make his boss on the other end of the line shift in his sheets, presumably to sit up and maybe even turn on a nightlight while leaning against the headboard and right now he really was willing to burn his throat on liters of coffee if only he could be able to watch Yanjun waking up like this.  
“Yanjun…?” He asked softly, once his tongue had decided not to be as much of a bitch anymore and stop hurting at least a bit, waiting for the little hum that would count as a response to be the cue to go on, “If my exams are over… Justin and Quanzhe are attending some sort of school camp and Zeren will probably stay with Yanchen and I can somehow occupy the others so…”  
“Zhu Zhengting,” he heard his name said over the line, more softly pronounced than he would, with a mixture of taunt and sensuality, making him shiver in anticipation and feel horribly small all at once, “Are you offering to spend at least one of your nights with me?”  
Ever so slightly he bit his lower lip, chewed on it for a bit while having to deal with the forward way of putting it, it wasn’t unlike him to be shy about it but he was too exhausted after such a long day and deprived of proximity for too long to behave like quite the confident persona he was supposed to be. “It’s our anniversary soon too…” He instead pointed out, quietly, as if it might be something bad.  
Yanjun, though, he at times really admired him, he knew that the man wasn’t quite as certain about everything despite seeming that way, yet his voice never faltered, at least he was able to keep his appearance of all kinds on a steady level, never going too high up, too far down, it was reassuring in its steadiness, like a safe line to hold on to, “Will you allow me to spoil you a bit, sugar?”  
“Just don’t buy me a diamond,” he joked, and choked, the words getting stuck in his throat a tad too much, something that was impossibly to bypass the other without a note but before he was able to say anymore, or worse, break into tears with all the stress and the burden of raising his six brothers for nearly four years now and the want to just be pulled into a tight hug, the flash of a light from the otherwise dark hallway startled him, seeming oddly prominent when even in the kitchen only a small lamp had been turned on. “Yanjun… I’ll need to go now. I… I love you.”  
He didn’t dare to wait for a reply but ended the call just in time for Xinchun to appear in the doorway, looking just as sleepy as was deserved for merely having woken up, catching up on all the sleep missed out on nights of endless studying for the own round of hell week. “Ge… Did you talk to someone?”  
“Just cursing my coffee for being hot,” Zhengting white-lied, quickly slipping his phone back into his bag before sliding off the counter, mug in one hand, the other wrapped around the younger to pull into a hug, lips pressed against ruddy hair in a soothing manner, enough to put the younger at ease to the point of easily leading him back to the slightly illuminated bedroom door.  
“Don’t drink coffee too late, tiger,” Xinchun said last before going back to bed and wrapping his thin frame into his blankets, leaving the dancer to close the door and going back to his room in silence, and only within the comfort of it he pulled out his phone again, seeing a message preview on the display.  
“I love you too, sugar. Don’t study for too long anymore and go to bed instead.”

The first thing he wanted to do when seeing Ziyi for the first time in weeks, walking out of the company building as if he owed it, which, actually, he partly did, considering some floors would be part of his assets in a few years time, considering at least two already belonged to him, part of the studio he had founded about two years ago and yet it was influential enough for the student to not only write song for his father’s artists but also other singers, be it solo works or idol stages or production soundtracks, AMH Studios surely had gained a certain amount of recognition already, if the amount of credited songs and increase of presents were anything to go by.  
The thing Zhengting actually did when he spotted the gentle giant was place a finger on his lips, a reminder to be quiet, because Chengcheng was still brightly talking about how great his day had been at work, he had been allowed to be around while one of the songs had been finished up, with recordings and all, he had even been allowed to take a picture with the singer he so proudly wanted to show off, talking about how he’d make Justin jealous with the selfie and then upload it on social media, blabbering on and on without ever exhausting his energies because apparently it was as impossible as was running out of snacks in that building, the mention of such had Ziyi receiving the bad eye but not understanding as for why.  
They were settled in the car and already on the way to their date location without even having so much as kissed for a greeting because his kid was still going on and on, seemingly wanting to fill all of his lonely way home from his internship because it was only when there was another familiar voice that the younger ended the call, cutting off a, “Send Ge m-”  
“You spoil him too much,” he finally said as he so naturally reached for the charger, attaching it to his phone before leaving it on the support between them, frowning lightly as he thought back to lifting Chengcheng off the couch only to nearly strain his back because the kid had gained too much weight and once asleep, there was no waking up for hours, leaving the oldest to three more attempts before giving up and resorting to just cover the younger with a blanket for the night and turning off the TV.  
“Chengcheng?” Ziyi asked, giving a short glimpse to the side before focusing on the streets again, driving god knew where and Zhengting couldn’t bring himself to care even, in the end, all the time he spent with the younger was time well spent, there never had been a single disappointment, not when all he could focus on were warm brown eyes and soft smiles anyways. “If I remember correctly, Yanjun spoiled you a lot in the beginning of working too. And he’s a good kid, he puts his whole heart into-”  
“He gained more than ten kilo!” The dancer interrupted with a worried scowl on his forehead, willing it to stay there by thinking of the younger having gained weight instead of getting distracted by an awfully perfectly well-sculpted profile with stark contrasts of high and low with the colorful city lights around them. “And he came home with a new tattoo and all within one month of your internship!”  
Lightly he rolled his eyes, deciding he couldn’t really stay mad despite his worrying about his kids when looking at the driver, opting to stubbornly look straight ahead and reading number plates instead, and within only a few seconds time he added, “And Yanjun didn’t spoil me anymore after hiring me for good.”  
“So you suggest I promote him?” If Ziyi’s words were a joke or serious, Zhengting wasn’t sure but he didn’t reply either way, had no time to because apparently they had reached their destination, the younger halting the car but just was the dancer was about to press the button on the buckle, he was stopped by a hand, demanded to stay seated while all he could do was watch his date get out and walk into the restaurant, returning after a while with more bags of takeout than needed for two people, all stored on the back seats, before getting to drive again.  
It seemed to take longer this time around and as Zhengting didn’t feel like talking just yet, mulling over his thoughts instead, he only turned on some music instead, songs echoing through the small space until they passed a gate, leading to into what seemed to be a park except it was filled with cars and a big screen, and it took some minutes for his brain to do the maths, to realize it was some sort of car cinema.  
“It’s your favorite movie with Marilyn Monroe so…” The younger started but didn’t even get to end his sentence when Zhengting had already pushed back his seat, taken off his shoes to be comfortable, and climbed behind, folding his former place of sitting into half to serve as some sort of footrest, excitement in his eyes as he patted the spot next to him.  
The music producer could only smile as he pulled the keys and followed suit, settling next to the older and pulling out their servings of food from the bags along with cutlery, their still warm dinner resting on their laps while they waited for the projection to light up and the movie to start.  
It wasn’t until they were halfway through pasta and salad and past an especially romantic moment when suddenly he started, “I’m sorry for getting upset with you…” If the silence that followed was anything to go by, it was for Zhengting to continue so, with a deep breath, he continued, “But Chengcheng is getting so attached to and I’m just thinking-” He broke himself off, poking into his spaghetti while trying to collect his words, trying to voice what had been bothering him for a while, “If… I don’t want Chengcheng to get hurt if that thing between us ends and…”  
“Zhengting,” Ziyi started softly, head tilted to look at him but he couldn’t do it, wasn’t able to look at the young student who must have used up all his pocket money for buying clothes worn by someone else, presents for people he’d never get to know, buying smartphones and notebooks and clothes and stuffed toys and all this and all that and always doing it with a smile.  
Ziyi, who never got to see the kids’ faces when they opened the bags, got to watch that sparkle in innocent and bright eyes finding a new piece of clothing or new shoes or toys, sometimes there was a voucher to go shopping or for online games or there would be coupons for small things like the arcade or the cinema.  
Ziyi, who had spoiled him since three years now, only a while shorter than Yanjun, had taken him on a date with innocent intent but ended up sending him home with dozens of bags in his hands with expensive clothes and equally expensive gifts, who had always listened to his stories of his families and gotten to know Zeren by sight and now Chengcheng and never asked for more but was much like that perfect family father.  
Ziyi, who had never urged him into anything more, was happy giving him presents, who had looked like someone winning the lottery the first time he had been offered to go further than kissing and not seemed the least bit irritated by Zhengting being covered in marks by another man, who had simply being accepted being one of two because it was what would make the dancer happy, because nothing seemed to me too much if only it brought delight to the brother of six and sometimes making the kids happy was the easiest way to making also the oldest happy.  
“Chengcheng tells you so much about our family when I can’t even introduce you to them because I’m afraid they’ll get attached… He’s already attached… What if they like you, or Yanjun, or both of you and then it ends and…” He took another deep breath while tilting his head back, maybe he had really overworked himself too much lately, already feeling too close to tears for the second time within merely one month, even though it were two ends of. “If I lose you, I can deal with that but the kids…”  
“Zhengting,” the music student repeated, this time more firmly, making the dancer look up in surprise, not used to that kind of tone that would have shivers running down his spine in a multitude of different situations, felt barbed wire wrap around his heart and pull tight while looking at the younger, “I won’t break up with you. I won’t let go of you even if you push me away and I won’t allow your kids to get hurt. Can’t you have a bit more faith in me after so much time?”  
“S-sor-” The word of apology he had been about to say was interrupted by a nearly angry kiss, lips forceful against his and food somewhere placed on the side, an exchange that only turned softer after the tension had left his body and even when he was picked up and Ziyi had him lifted to sit on his lap, he didn’t resist it, only so desperately clung onto the younger’s Versace shirt and tried to be even closer, wanting for all of his worries to be taken away from him as if that kiss could suck them right out of him and replace them with warmth and comfort, and maybe it did, because he couldn’t say he would be able to stop thinking about it in the future but at least he didn’t find it in himself to doubt the other’s heart.  
Especially not when their kiss was broken after what seemed like eternity and he was greeted by soft pants, lips trailing his jaw and neck and soothing the pain of violent bitemarks mostly covered by his shirt, was greeted by the most gentle of voices and the kindest words, “I love you, Zhengting.”  
“Too… I love you too, Ziyi…”

“I’m sorry,” Wenjun mouthed before Zhengting had even so much as passed the entrance door, the younger reaching for the dripping umbrella to put it to the rest of that was placed on a mat to save the floor from getting drenched, and the older left to peeling out of his rain jacket and drop his bags to the ground on their usual spot, not even getting to ask what this all was about when Zeren appeared in the hallway, out of the open kitchen door with too many voices, as he belatedly realized, and a gesture that either meant to cut it off or cut someone’s neck.  
If going by his panic struck face, it was probably a warning and an excuse for not being at fault all at once but he didn’t stay there for long when suddenly being yanked back, leaving Zhengting to walk forward and into the grand space of the open kitchen area leading to the dining area, sliding doors towards the living room open for more space and while greeted with the five familiar faces of his younger brothers, he had to realize in shock that there was also Yanchen - which wasn’t as much of a shock, actually - along with Ziyi and Yanjun, leaving the newcomer standing frozen in the door.  
Yanchen looked awfully at home, wrapping himself around his smaller boyfriend, and it was a given, he had visited from time to time although the couple seemed to appreciate the privacy of the dancer’s single room apartment more, but Yanjun and Ziyi, while at least not giving each other the bad eye or anything, seemed awfully out of place.  
“Ge, look! I always thought you were suspicious so I checked your phone and there was that guy you wrote a love confession to so I invited him and-”  
“Zeren had already invited Yanchen along so I asked Ziyi to come since I always talk-”  
“I only invited Yanchen since Justin said he had asked Zhengting’s boyfriend-”  
“Ziyi is Zhengting’s boyfriend though,” was a sentence that seemed awfully out of place suddenly, spoken by Yanchen and interrupting the mess that was Justin’s and Chengcheng’s and Zeren’s usual way of conversing, having all eyes snap his direction except for the two supposed boyfriends who looked at the lovey dovey dancers instead, both still entangled in some sort of embrace that seemed more like Yanchen resting his weight on the younger.  
If anything, the startle on his face and the freezing in his spot must have given enough of a hint to both his lovers to step forward, freeing him from the situation by taking him to the bedroom with so much security to their steps that Zhengting was quite sure the kids had given an intricate tour to their home to show off, unbeknownst to them that these two guys were, in first place, responsible for them even being able to live like this.  
The door fell close behind them and he felt the softness of the mattress beneath himself but he wasn’t entirely able to snap out of it until he felt warm hands cupping his face and making him look up, forced to look at Ziyi’s apologetic face right in front of him. “I’m sorry for this. I wouldn’t have come if I had known that Yanchen or Yanjun would be around, Chengcheng simply asked for a lift home and then he asked to accompany him up and in because his bags are too heavy but I didn’t know-”  
“We all didn’t know,” Yanjun interrupted, surprisingly soft with more worry than anything lacing his features, voice low as if he was afraid anyone on the other side of the door he was leaning against with his crossed arms was going to hear it, eyes trained on his lover until something else caught his attention apparently.  
Zhengting took some time to follow that gaze, finding the sketch of the house framed above his bedhead, making him lower his head with a hint of embarrassment on his face, the sight of it having been enough to forget about his kids - probably right outside the room and trying to listen in - for all of a moment, relishing in the warmth of Ziyi’s palms for a little while more.  
“You can just tell them Ziyi’s your boyfriend,” Yanjun finally said when silence had dragged on for too long, but the way he said it, without the usual hint of confidence, it made Zhengting snap his head towards the older and right after at the younger when hearing the response, “We can also say Yanchen must have been misunderstood our situation and it’s Yanjun you’re dating.”  
“Ge!” A voice suddenly erupted from outside, along with a knock that made all of them flinch in place, Zhengting needing a while to figure it was Quanzhe’s, the mistaken baby of the group probably pushed forth by the others to avoid his anger or sadness because who could possibly stay mad with their little blond, “If you’re dating one of them or either both, we won’t bring it up again if it makes you uncomfortable… Justin and Chengcheng are sorry for the mess they just wanted to surprise you but-”  
“We should’ve asked,” both the culprits added in unison, sounding actually a bit sorry, but as always when those two were involved, it soon ended in a mess that lead to a discussion of six - or five, if Justin’s disgusted sounds and Quanzhe’s yell about minors were anything of a hint towards Zeren and Yanchen probably doing something else - and all apologies were washed down the drain.  
“You want to go out yet?” Ziyi asked finally but Zhengting just shook his head, falling onto the bed and patting the two spots next to himself, until he felt two weights dipping down the mattress on both his sides, and three eyes were turned up to the ceiling instead.  
“Leave them fighting for a while, they’re more bearable when they’re exhausted,” he muttered, fumbling with the hem of his sweater until two hands grabbed his to keep him steady, to make him feel loved and warm and comforted, “And meanwhile I’ll think about what to tell them… Or how to explain this… Wait! How do I explain loving two people at once?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and I love bad cliffhangers
> 
> Get my sucky peach updates on [twitter](https://twitter.com/zhengjunist) or send me your prompts on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/dadting)


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